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Periodical payments meaning

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert
What does Periodical payments mean?
Regular maintenance paid at set intervals (usually monthly) by one spouse or civil partner (or former spouse/civil partner) to support the other and/or a child of the family. In family law this is commonly called a periodical payments order. England & Wales and Northern Ireland: Courts may order periodical payments under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973/Matrimonial Causes (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004. For children, the court can order periodical payments (e.g. under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989/Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995), but routine child maintenance is usually assessed and enforced by the Child Maintenance Service. Scotland: The equivalent concepts are aliment during marriage/civil partnership and periodical allowance on divorce under the Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985. Ireland: Maintenance orders for periodical payments are made under the Maintenance of Spouses and Children Act 1976 (as amended) and the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. Key features include term-limited or joint-lives orders, nominal orders, indexation, variation or discharge on change of circumstances, enforcement (e.g. attachment of earnings), and possible capitalisation to achieve a clean break where permitted. Distinct from personal injury “periodical payment orders” for damages, which operate in a different context.
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View the related Checklists about Periodical payments

CHECKLISTS
Practitioners’ guide to Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 applications (England and Wales): jurisdiction, MIAMs, forms, standard and fast-track, FDR, orders, duration and variation

Procedure—Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 Unless an application seeks only periodical payments (ie no capital orders at all), an application under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989) will proceed in accordance with the standard procedure. In the same way, where a party applies to vary an existing order, the fast-track route is available only where the variation concerns a periodical payments order and no form of capitalisation is requested. See Practice Note: Fast-track (shortened) financial remedy procedure. An application under ChA 1989, Sch 1 is issued in the Family Court and is allocated to a district judge. See Practice Notes: Procedure—Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 and Issuing financial proceedings in Form A (standard procedure). This Procedural Guide is primarily focused on applications proceeding under the standard procedure. The pre-action protocol and the overriding objective contained in the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010) apply to applications under ChA 1989, Sch 1—see Practice Note: Financial proceedings—pre-application requirements—Pre-application protocol (FPR 2010, PD...

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FLOWCHARTS
Child Claims Settlement Approval Flowchart: From Proposed Settlement to Approval Hearing, including Issuing Proceedings, Required Documents, Future Losses, Periodical Payments and Court Assessment of Fairness

Introduction This Flowchart sets out the procedure for securing the court’s approval of a settlement in a child’s case. It steers practitioners from the point of a proposed agreement to the approval hearing, covering when to commence proceedings, the paperwork needed for approval, how to address future losses and periodical payments, and how the court evaluates if the compromise is fair and reasonable...

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NEWS
Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 in ‘big money’ cases: Y v Z [2024] EWFC 4—child-centred budgets, no tariff, proportionate claims, housing and maintenance provision (England and Wales)

Y v Z [2024] EWFC 4 What are the practical implications of this case? Before determining the application, the court was taken through a series of authorities. Peel J concluded that those decisions do not reveal a standard tariff or an upper limit; instead, each application falls to be decided on its own facts and within its specific context, with context being decisive... ChA 1989, Sch 1 empowers the court to order a settlement of property, commonly structured as a trust, licence or lease. Such arrangements preserve the payer’s ownership of the asset, whilst permitting the payee to live in the property with the children during their minority, or until the conclusion of tertiary education, as explained in Re A (A Child: Financial Provision) [2014] EWCA Civ 1577, [2015] 2 FLR 625 and UD v DN (Schedule 1, Children Act 1989; Capital Provision) [2021] EWCA Civ 1947, [2022] 2 FLR 308... In addition, the court may direct the payment of a lump sum or a series...

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NEWS
PI and Clinical Negligence: case updates on Eeles interim payment, Court of Protection indemnity, PHE guidance, UKSC interference principle, fundamental dishonesty and false imprisonment; plus sector news — 31 October 2024

In this issue: Clinical Negligence Interim payments, periodical payments and provisional damages Employer’s Liability Public authorities and the state Claims involving fraud and fundamental dishonesty Other PI and Clinical negligence news Daily and weekly news alerts LexTalk®PI & Clinical Negligence: a Lexis®Nexis community LexisNexis® Webinars Useful information Clinical Negligence High Court grants £2m interim award under the first limb of Eeles In DBH (a child proceeding by his mother and Litigation Friend TE) v Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, the court authorised an interim payment of £2,193,810.39—amounting to 90% of a prudent valuation—under the first limb of Eeles v Cobham Hire Services Ltd [2009] EWCA Civ 204, to meet the claimant’s pressing accommodation requirements and therapy provision pending trial. The judge declined to make any further award under the second limb of Eeles, holding that the material before the court fell short of establishing that the cost of the...

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NEWS
Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence update for England and Wales: causation, HAVS and limitation, capacity, interim payments, QOCS; DfT road safety; HMCTS IT bugs, 21 August 2025

In this issue: Key PI and Clinical negligence news Proving negligence or breach of statutory duty Occupational disease Claims involving a mentally incapacitated claimant Interim payments, periodical payments and provisional damages Costs and funding Other PI and Clinical negligence news LexisNexis® PI & Clinical Negligence Quantum Database LexisNexis® Quantum Portal LexTalk®PI & Clinical Negligence: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts LexisNexis® Webinars Key PI and Clinical negligence news ACSO hails early indications of proposals in forthcoming DfT road safety review The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has voiced support for signals from the Department for Transport (DfT) on what may feature in its upcoming road safety review—the first in ten years. ACSO points out that, although serious road casualties fell from 41,000 in 2000 to 24,000 by 2010, they have since climbed by nearly 20%. Likely measures are expected to tackle drink- and drug-driving, seat belt use,...

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View the related Practice Notes about Periodical payments

PRACTICE NOTES
School fees and educational expenses: court orders, applications under MCA 1973/CPA 2004 and Schedule 1 Children Act 1989, and CMS variations (England and Wales)

Practice Note This Practice Note sets out guidance on the court’s authority to order periodical payments and/or lump sums covering school fees and other educational or training outgoings. It outlines the steps to be taken in matters involving parents who are or have been married or in a civil partnership, as well as in situations where the parents have never been married or in a civil partnership, and prescribes the process to follow. Significant limits apply to the court’s ability to make periodical payment orders for a child where the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has, or would have, competence to carry out a maintenance calculation. Even so, the court still has power to direct that a parent, or any person who has treated the relevant child as a child of the family, must pay or contribute towards the expense of a child receiving instruction at an educational institution, or undertaking training for a trade, profession, or vocation (whether or not in paid work). Most frequently, such directions concern the...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Maintenance agreements following death: variation procedure and interaction with the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and Children Act 1989 Schedule 1 (England and Wales)

This Practice Note deals with maintenance agreements where one of the parties to the agreement has died. For practical guidance on varying a maintenance agreement while the parties are still alive, including applications under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989), refer to Practice Note: Variation and alteration of maintenance agreements during the lifetime of the parties, during the parties’ lifetime. See also Practice Note: Formalities of maintenance agreements. Where a maintenance agreement within the meaning of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (MCA 1973) or the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (CPA 2004) provides for periodical payments to continue after the death of one party, and that party dies domiciled in England and Wales, the surviving party or the deceased party’s personal representatives may issue a variation application to the court. The application must be brought within six months of the grant of representation; otherwise the permission of the court is required. If the court decides it is just to alter the terms of the agreement, the...

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PRACTICE NOTES
England and Wales: tax on separation and divorce financial orders—CGT changes (Finance (No 2) Act 2023), PPR, periodical payments, lump sums, business assets and deferred payments (Mesher/Martin)

This Practice Note It examines relevant examples of orders in financial proceedings and spectrum of tax implications that may arise when periodical payments orders, lump-sum orders or property adjustment orders are made, or where business assets are present. The Finance (No 2) Act 2023 obtained Royal Assent on 11 July 2023...

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View the related Precedents about Periodical payments

PRECEDENTS
Child maintenance and other financial provision for children: CMS calculations, Schedule 1 Children Act 1989, top-up orders, lump sums, property settlements and procedure (England and Wales)

This note offers broad guidance on financial support for children. Your family solicitor can give tailored advice to suit your particular circumstances and needs. Child maintenance Under the law relating to child maintenance (also called child support), the court is generally unable to make a child maintenance order other than by the parties’ consent (agreement), except where certain exceptions apply. Any consent order for a child’s maintenance binds for only one year, after which either parent may seek a calculation from the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), if they wish to do so. Where you and the other parent cannot settle the level of maintenance, either party can apply to the CMS for a formal assessment...

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PRECEDENTS
Serious Personal Injury (Multi-track) Schedule of Loss Precedent: General Damages, Past and Future Losses, Periodical Payments and Court of Protection (England and Wales)

[ IN THE COUNTY COURT AT [ INSERT ] OR IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE ] [ [ SPECIFY DIVISION ] ] [ [ INSERT LOCATION ] DISTRICT REGISTRY ] Claim No: Between [ Insert name ] Claimant [ (a protected party by [ insert litigation friend’s name ], [ his OR her ] litigation friend and [ insert family relation eg wife ]) ] and [ Insert name ] Defendant Schedule of Loss CALCULATED TO [ insert date OR insert the date of trial ] The Claimant retains the right to revise, vary, or add to this schedule at any time up to and including trial. A. BACKGROUND DATA Claimant’s date of birth: [ insert date of birth ] Date of accident: [ insert date ] Key medical milestones, for example discharge from hospital or surgery: [ insert date ] Date of [ termination of employment OR return to work ]: [ insert...

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PRECEDENTS
Precedent particulars of claim for head-on collision during unsafe overtaking (County Court, England and Wales), including injury, loss, interest under s69 CCA 1984, and optional DA 1996 periodical payments

In the County Court at [ insert ], under Claim No: [ insert claim number ], between A B as Claimant and X Y as Defendant PARTICULARS OF CLAIM At every relevant time, the Claimant owned and was driving a [ insert make and model of vehicle ], bearing registration [ insert registration number ]. The Defendant likewise was the owner and driver of a [ insert make and model of vehicle ], registration mark [ insert registration number ]. On [ insert date ], the Claimant was lawfully travelling along [ insert street name, town, county ]. Whilst the Claimant continued on that route, the Defendant’s vehicle, approaching from the opposite direction in the other lane, sought to pass a stationary car in that lane and moved across into the Claimant’s lane...

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View the related Q&As about Periodical payments

Q&As
Post-18 tertiary education after lapsed child maintenance order: para 2(3) Sch 1 CA 1989; child or PWC?

The young person is now past 18, has finished secondary schooling and is moving on to higher education. The prior maintenance arrangement has now ceased, and the child intends to seek financial provision under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989) by making their application. Under ChA 1989, Sch 1, a parent, guardian, or special guardian of a child, or any person in whose favour a residence order is in force with respect of a child, may apply for a range of orders for the benefit of a child as provided under Sch 1...

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Q&As
Child maintenance capitalisation in a clean break consent order

Broadly, a capitalised maintenance order is intended to achieve a clean break, bringing to an end each party’s financial responsibilities owed to the other, both during life and on death, pursuant to the relevant statutory provisions of section 25A of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (MCA 1973) See the Practice Notes: Capitalised maintenance—Duxbury calculations, and Financial clean break orders in family proceedings...

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Q&As
UC treatment of Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 periodical payments

An in-depth review of welfare benefits lies beyond the remit of Lexis+ Family practical guidance; however, we point you to the government guidance Universal Credit: further information for families, which you may find useful. Universal Credit: an overview: Butterworths Family Law Service [8162] may likewise be of interest. If needed, consider seeking advice from a welfare benefits specialist where necessary and appropriate also...

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